Business Analyst

sticksman

Hi all,

As part of my internship, I am required to model a current accounting package, note it's processes and data flows/transfers, suggest improvements and come up with a model to present to the software development team. Has anybody any tips or pointers for me as this is way beyond the scope of any process mapping that I have done before.

Thanks

Fanny Cradock

I don't think you are in the correct forum. However, without meaning to be glib, if you are feeling out of your depth then I would remind them that you are an intern.

sticksman

Thanks for reply. It will be challenging but i feel like I am up to it.

Mods feel free to move to correct forum if necessary

SalteeDog

This will depend on who you have access to and what documentation is available (it is an existing system right?)

You'll need to understand the system as well as you can. Start with understanding the business processes that it serves. What are the inputs/outputs and various workflows? Who are the users? What are the critical non-functional requirements (response time/security/availability). Try and learn what you can about the data and system architecture that's already in place.
Interview users (including their managers) - identify pain points, what would they like improved. Identify where workflows can be simplified, where automation can replace manual steps. Try and learn about the system 'ecosystem' in which your system is a part - are there outputs from other systems which are manually entered as inputs into the system - scope for potential integrations perhaps? Don't forget to pay very close attention to transactional data AND master data. Efficient and clean master data management processes are a major element in the smooth running of any system.

Some of this may be going well beyond the remit of what you've been asked but be aware there isn't an enterprise application on the planet that doesn't have several major things that could be done to improve it and hundreds of little things.